President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his support for the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, despite serving as minister in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, further confirmed his remarks at his inauguration on May 29, 2015 that he belongs to everybody and to nobody in particular.

Buhari said this while interacting with the Nigerian community in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where he is attending the 5th European Union-African Union (EU-AU) Summit.

The President was reacting to Adesina’s gratitude to his administration for supporting him to get the job, leading to his becoming the first Nigerian to head the continental bank since it was set up in 1964.

He said, “The President of the African Development Bank forgot to mention that he was serving in the PDP government as minister, but all the same, I recommended him for the AfDB job.

“I think it emphasised what I said during my swearing-in that I’m for everybody, I’m for nobody. As long as you are a Nigerian, be prepared to benefit from me.”

Adesina, in his remarks, noted that the economy picked up soon after Buhari’s health challenge, adding that “so it seems there is a correlation between the President’s health and the improved economy.“

On security, Adesina said the bank has released $250m for the construction and rehabilitation of the Northeast, destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents.

He also revealed that the AfDB has constructed a big building behind the Yar’Adua centre, as the project started in 2016 and has now been completed.

He said it was the first of such building by AfDB outside its Abidjan headquarters which he wants President Buhari to inaugurate.

Adesina said, “I want to thank you immensely. I want to thank God for your health, because I must say that for all of us, that has been a big concern.

“But seeing you as fit as a fiddle and seeing you back in action, we thank God for that and may God continue to give you great strength.

“Mr. President, as you must have noticed, there is a very strong correlation between your health and the economy and when you came back, the economy picked up after that. So, we wish you great health so that the economy can continue to pick.

“I also want to congratulate you for the economic growth and recovery plan that you have put in place and the incredible plan that you have put in place to bring the economy out of recession and also in terms of the fact that Nigeria has moved up in the World Bank ease of doing business index.

“It is a credit to your leadership, vision and commitment; and we at the African Development Bank commend you, Mr. President, and assure you of our strong support for you and your government, for the efforts to move Nigeria forward.

We are solidly behind you, you can count on that.

“I also thank you for your leadership on the Boko Haram issue, because, to draw investments into Nigeria, you absolutely have to have security. I think that securing our borders is very very important. Thanks to your leadership for that.

“I also thank you for all the efforts you have made in the Lake Chad Basin Area. I was with you in Paris where you led the efforts in reviving the Lake Chad Basin.

“As you know, Mr. President, the Bank is very strongly behind that. We put in $250m to support the northeast of Nigeria’s rebuilding.

“I know you were criticised for soliciting its rebuilding, but I don’t see anything wrong with that. If things get destroyed, they have to be rebuilt and the African Development Bank has contributed $250m towards that.”

Punch Games

Forty-eight corpses of persons killed by Boko Haram insurgents during an oil exploration to the Lake Chad Basin have been brought to the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in the Borno State capital.

Sources at the UMTH and the Maimalari Army Barrack told The PUNCH that the corpses were brought into Maiduguri from the scene of the attack.

The corpses brought include 18 soldiers, 15 Civilian JTF, five university staff and four NNPC drivers.

Also six persons who were wounded in the attack but escaped to somewhere in Yobe State were later found dead and brought to Maiduguri.

Apart from the wounded soldiers admitted to military hospital in the town, two members of the Civilian JTF were as at Thursday on admission at the UMTH.

The Army, in a press statement on Wednesday by it’s spokesman, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, had claimed that all the NNPC staff abducted in the Tuesday’s ambush had been rescued.

Usman, in the statement, said: “On receipt of the information, the Brigade mobilized and sent reinforcement, search and rescue party that include the Armed Forces Special Forces and guides that worked and pursued the terrorists throughout the night.

“So far, they have rescued all the NNPC staff and recovered the corpses of the Officer, 8 soldiers and a civilian who have been evacuated to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital.

“The team recovered 4 vehicles one of which include a gun truck mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun, 2 white Hilux taken away from NNPC staff and 1 blue Hilux belonging to CJTF. The team also recovered large quantities of arms and ammunition, several spare tyres, many jerry cans of containing Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant, assorted drugs, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials, reflective jackets and a Motorola handheld radio, among others. The team also neutralized many of the terrorists.”

But investigations by our correspondent revealed that five lecturers from the University of Maiduguri in the exploration team were killed.

Names of three of the lost were given as Dr. Joseph Millitus, Dr. Manaja Uba and Idris Njodi.

A family of one of the deceased (Dr. Joseph Millitus), Daniel Millitus told our correspondent that the family was still in grief over the lost of one of the rising stars of the family.

Daniel Millitus, who is a pastor in one of the parishes of Redeemed Christian Church of God in Maiduguri, said the family is making arrangements for the burial of their son.

Another relative of a slain lecturer (Dr. Manaja Uba), said the family was still in shock and found it difficult to believe that “Manaja was no more.”

She lamented that another relative (Yusuf Ibrahim) also in the exploration team is still missing.

When contacted on phone by journalists, the spokesman of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Danjuma Gambo, said, he was in Abuja and, therefore, has limited access to information on happenings at the institution.

He, however, promised to get more information on the claims as soon as he gets back on campus from Abuja.

The Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Col. Kingsley Samuel, when contacted on the matter, said it was not within the purview of the 7 Division where he is the spokesman.

He asked that: “You have to get in contact with Abuja on this, as I have no available information. It is under the 8 division.”

Punch Games

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Monday said it would resume oil exploration activities in the Chad Basin in the next six weeks.

It said the projection came on the heels of improved security situation in the North-East region, which has been devastated by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, and the Shehu of Borno, Dr. Abubakar El-Kanemi, in Maiduguri on Monday.

The corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, quoted Baru as saying in a statement, “We have been discussing with military authorities in the area and they have assured us of improved security. Once they give us the green light, we will resume operations in the area within six weeks.

“We are also in the state to inform you that in the next six weeks, we are going to redeploy our team of experts back to Maiduguri to resume oil exploration with better technology in the Lake Chad Basin.

“This is necessary with our renewed efforts in harnessing oil, gas and power to increase the economy of the nation in line with the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari on job creation and economic diversification.”

The GMD, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr. Saidu Mohammed, informed the governor that the NNPC was keen on increasing its production from 1.9 million barrels per day to three million bpd, as well as increasing its oil and gas reserves.

This target, according to Baru, necessitated the exploration for more oil within and across some of the nation’s inland basins.

He commended the efforts of the federal and state governments in the area of peace restoration, reconstruction and rehabilitation, stressing that as a responsible corporate citizen, the corporation was ready to provide support in that regard.

At the Shehu’s palace, Baru sought the support of the traditional ruler, especially in the area of host community understanding of the resumption of oil exploration activities in the state.

The statement noted that the corporation presented relief items to the traditional ruler for onward delivery to the internally displaced persons in the state.

Earlier in his remarks, Shettima said the insurgency had taken a huge toll on the North-East region, leading to the loss of over $9.6bn, with Borno State alone losing about $5.6bn.

“We need your support in our reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts so that when the history of the new Borno is written, the NNPC’s name will be written in gold,” the governor stated.

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